A SHOP owner who sexually abused a schoolgirl over a period of months told her 'it's your fault for being so beautiful'.

Paedophile Mohammad Hafeez ran the Eynsham News in Eynsham during the abuse of the child victim last year.

The 38-year-old of Radley Road, Abingdon, admitted four counts of sexual assault against his single victim, which took place on numerous occasions.

Oxford Crown Court heard at his sentencing hearing yesterday how Hafeez claimed he 'loved' his teenage victim.

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Prosecutor Claire Fraser said that during the abuse Hafeez told the girl 'she was very pretty, that she was sexy and was good looking.'

She said the assaults took the form of sexual touching over clothing and he told the girl 'I am sorry but it's your fault for being so beautiful.' The victim now feels 'anxious, sad and difficult in her head' after her ordeal, prosecutors said.

During police interview Hafeez accepted his behaviour was 'unacceptable' and that he had touched her but claimed it was not sexual.

He went on to say that he was 'in love' with the girl.

In mitigation his defence barrister said the offence was 'clearly something of great shame to him.'

Sentencing, Judge Maria Lamb said that Hafeez was 'deluding himself' that the acts were not sexual in nature and jailed him for 20 months.